Yield and nutritive value of forages grown under irrigated and nonirrigated conditions

In field trials average dry matter (DM) yields of 4 perennial grasses were increased from 5 to 5.5 t per ha and corn grain from 8.4 to 9.4 t per ha, with irrigation during the 150-day drier spring period. Corn produced 17 and 263 percent more DM during the 150-day dry period than sorghum and the perennial grasses, respectively. During the entire growing season forage sorghum yielded 37 and 109 percent more DM than corn and the perennial grasses, respectively. These data indicated differences in DM production between the species tested. Irrigation during the cool dry period can significantly increase corn grain yields; however, it has little effect on seasonal perennial forage yields.